The African Youth Alliance (AYA) has become a leader in making comprehensive reproductive health programmes of information and care a reality for young people, primarily those aged 10 to 19. AYA’s goal is to reduce the incidence and spread of HIV/AIDS and other STIs and improve overall adolescent reproductive health in Botswana, Ghana, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AYA is a collaboration among UNFPA, the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), Pathfinder International and local NGOs intended to scale up successful programme approaches.

In Botswana, for example, AYA is helping the Botswana Family Welfare Association and the Family Health Division of the Ministry of Health improve their youth-friendly services. Social marketing efforts and outreach activities aim to increase awareness among youth of new and improved services. In Ghana, an AYA committee has been formed to ensure meaningful participation of the Government in adolescent reproductive health activities. AYA has been working extensively with the Ministry of Health to train health providers in youth-friendly health service delivery.

Nearing the fifth and final year of the programme, AYA is focusing both on building the capacity of its local partners and scaling up current activities to maintain the programme beyond its original timeline. A number of AYA in-country partners have received intensive assistance in financial management and strategic planning. See Sources